Process of treating metal and mineral bearing materials.



Jl-L. MALM. PROCESS OF TREATING METAL AND MINERAL BEARING -MATERIALS. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 9, 1909.

- 1,049,746. Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

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JOHN L. menu, or D NVER, ooromno."

rnocnss or TREATING METAL AND MINERAL BEARING MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN L. MALM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the countyof Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Treating Metal and Mineral Bearing Materials, of which the following is a specification.

- Thisinvention relates to a process for treating metal and mineral bearing materials generally, but is particularly applicable to the treatment of such materials containingsulfur,

The process may be stated to consist, in one of its broad aspects, in subjecting the metal and mineral bearing materials, in a suitable receptacle, to the action of a gas which will form soluble salts of the metals.

and in maintaining the temperature in the receptacle at alow'point during the process. More specifically the invention relates to a. processforfltreating ores containing sul- 'fur whereby the ore, preferably prepared in a finely divided condition, is subjected to an atmosphere of substantially dry gas whereby the sulfur is separated out and the metals, having an afiinity for such gas, are

left in the form of salts which are freely.

soluble in .a suitable liquid from which, after it .has been, filtered or decanted, themetal or metals may be recovered by any suit-able 3 process.

Still more specifically the invention relates to a process for treating sulfid ores wherein the ore preferably in a finely divided condition is subjected, in a suit-able rece tacle, to the action of a halogen gas pre erably chlorin which is supplied to the receptacle in a manner such that the temperature within the receptacle is maintained at a low point so that the sulfur does not become plastic and the formation oflumps or a cake on the inside of, the receptacle is prevented. i

Invent-ion also resides in the feeding of a cooling agent preferably air with the'halogen gas into thereceptacle for assisting in the maintenance of a low temperature in the receptacle and for supplying moisture with the dry halogen gas to assist in its action.

Thus, by proceeding as above stated, the. recess may be carried on without producmg either sulfur mono-chlorid (S 01 or plastic sulfur s which are highly 010-.

ject'ionable as before intimated, and whose presence would prohibit the commercial I Application filed August 9, 1909. Serial No. 512,018.

materials for the reason that theore would cake on the inside of the mill and form balls or lumps which would preventeven a fair action of the halogen gas upon the ore. By

this treatment some of the metals, viz: the iron and the copper are rendered in the ous condition, cuprous chlorid (C11 Cl and ferrous chlorid (Fecl where chlorin is used as'the gas, the ic condition, viz: cupric chlorid (CuCl and the ferric chlorid (FeCl being formed-only in an atmosphere containing an excess of the-halogen gas. a

Still further invention resides in. the charging of the pulp, which has been acted upon in the first receptacle, into a suitable agitator with a liquid, preferably water, and a halogen gas, whereby themetal-or metals which have been only partially acted treatment of many ores or mineral bearing on in the first receptacle are still further treated so that all metals are finally formed into salts which are soluble in water or in solution of other metals, this result being attained by an excess of halogen gas furnished to the agitator.

-- The invention may. be further briefly summarized as consisting in the details of the process hereinafter set forth in the following description and claims.

The steps of my process as preferably carried out are as follows The crushed ore is continuously fedin at one end of a suit-able receptacle referably a 'revolving tube, drum or barrel and permitted to discharge atthe opposite 'end. During its course through the tube it is subjected to the action of chlorin gas which is prefer ably supplied to the discharge end of the receptacle and the temperature is maintained at a oint below that at which sulfur mono-ch orid or plastic sulfur would be' formed, either in a manner of feeding and the regulation of the feeding of the 'ore and chlorin, or by the addition of a cooling agent such as air with the chlorin,'-so that there is no cake formed on the Wall of the tube and no lumping of the ore. During this part of the process certain of the metals having an'afiinity for chlorin combine with the chlorin and form chlorids in the ous condition, When certain metal or metals have combined with the chlorin to a predetermined point the ore isthen ready for the next step of the process. The parttally chloridized pulp from the first receptacle, as above stated, merely delivers one or more of the metals, for example copper and iron, to the agitator in the ous condition, and where chlorin is used they would appear as cuprous chlorid (Cu CI and ferrous chlorid (FeCl the ic condition of these metals, where chlorin is used, viz: the cupric chlorid (CuCl and the ferric 'chlorid (FeCl as before stated, being formed onlyin' an atmosphere of excess chlorin or after all other metals have been chloridized. The action in the agitator is one wherein the ous salts of a metal or metals which are soluble in a liquid such as water, or any solution of other metallicsalts, pass into solution, and on the addition of the halogen gas, the valency of the ous salts is increased to the ic condition, for

instance the ous chlorids are convertedinto the ic chlorids and in the example above stated the cuprous chlorid is converted into the cupric chlorid and the ferrous into ferric. The ic salts in solution then attack the free sulfids which were not attacked in the first receptacle and react with them to form additional ous salts of the metal or metals, converting the ic salts back to the f ous salts. By the prolonged addition of free chlorin and by the agitation of t-hesolution, the ous salts are again chloridized to the ic salts and this cycle of reaction continues until allof the metals present are converted into theic condition. In carrying out the above process, in addition to the sulfids, the oxids and most of the native metals, gold (Au) and silver (Ag) are chloridized by. the ic chlorids and pass into solution. Steam may be supplied to the agitator for the purpose of supplying pressure and heat which assist in the conducting of the process, and further assist in discharging the material from the agitator to the filter press. The solution at this point is then filter pressed or decanted as desired and treated in a manner to recover the metals therefrom. If there be silver present in the ore the second step of the process, viz: the treatment in the agitator in solution, must be in the presence of heat, that is the solution must be hot for silver chlorid only passes in solution in the presence of other chlorids in' a hot solution.

In the drawings .the figure represents a suitable apparatus for conducting the process.

In carrying out the process any preferred form and construction of apparatusmay be employed but I have shown one form which The partial is very efiicient in operation, and in such embodiment 1 represents a revolving tube, barrel or drum provided at one end with a head 3 having a central receiving orifice 4 into which projects a suitable chute 5 pro- The tube 1 like discharge member 9 rotatably mounted in a discharge chute 10 which empties into a suitable vessel 11 adapted to be filled with water by a pipe 12 from any suitable supply, to a suflicient height such thatthere is a seal at the lower end of the chute 10. This vessel 11 is provided with a pipe 13 for a purpose to be described. The chute 10 is still further provided with a connection 14' which is adapted to supply chlorin, or other gas, used in the process, to the tube 1. A pipe 14. connected to a suitable chlorin gas container 14", leads to 'the connection 14;

and furnishes the gas for the step of the process conducted in the tube. An air supply pipe 1 1 leads into the chlorin supply pipe and serves to cool the tube and to add moisture as will be explained. The pipe 13 7 suitable supports 19 and having extending radially into the tube suitable blades 20 which prevent the liquid from swirling within the same. This tube 18 is supported at its upper end by radially disposed members 21.

Rotatablymounted in '3, stufiing box 22 in the head 15 is a shaft 23 which extends down through the tube or tubular member 18 and is provided with flights 24; which are adapted to draw the solution from the bottom of the agitator tank and force it out at the top, thus causing an agitation therein. This agitator tank may be mounted upon suitable supports 25 secured to suitable masonry, not shown. The lower end of the agitator tank is provided with a discharge connection 26 which is provided with a flexible tubular portion 27 such as rubber ed with a suitable filter press 28 of any preferred construction. Since theconstruction of the filter press is not of importance in the present instance a further description of the same will not be given. A pipe 14 leads from the pipe to the top of the agitator tank for supplying chlorin thereto. A

hose, provided with suitable valve, connecttube it gradually passes through the dis steam supply pipe 30 is preferably connect,- l ing ore which consists in subjecting the same ed to the head 15 of the agitator for supplying a pressure 'to the same and adding heat.

In conducting the processwith the apparatus, the ore, which has been previously dried so that any mechanically admixed water is eliminated therefrom, is crushed to suitable fineness and this pulverized ore is fed into the chute 5 and is regulated in its feed by the slide 6. The tube is then rotated in any preferred manner and dry chlorin 1 gas is admitted from the pipe l4 into the tube. If the temperature cannot be maintained at the desired low point by regulating the feed of the ore and chlorin, air may be supplied in any required volume through lumping and caking of the ore which would result in'the building up of the head due to the action of the gas on the ore, and further adds a degree of moisture to the gas which assists in the operation of chloridization. This step of therocess is carried only to the point bf partially chloridizing the ore. When the ore is partially chloridized in the charge member 9 down through the chute 10 into the vessel 11 where it is mixed with wa-. ter or mill solutions or any other preferred liquid and through the pipe 13 into the agitator tankwhere it is agitated with free chlorin which converts the ous chlorids producedin the tube 1 to ic chlorid in solution, and these chlorids act upon the sulfids which have not already been acted upon or attacked by the chlorin in the tube and converts them to ous chlorids, atthe same time-reducing themselves to the ous con-- Finally, after all the sulfidshave dition. v been attacked, all metals are converted to the ic condition and pass into solution, the sulfur remaining inth'e gangue, separated from the metals which have gone into solution. The solution may thenpass from the agitator into the filter press where the solution is filtered ofi. This solution may be decanted if desired, but in any event. after the gangue has been removed from the solution the latter may be then treated for the recovery of the metals.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The herein described process of treating ore which consists in subjecting the dry ore in a receptacle to the action of a soluble salts-forming gas, and introducing a cooling agent with the gas.

2. The herein described process of treating ore which consists in subjecting the dry ore in a suitable receptacle to the action of a halogen gas, and introducing a cooling agent with the halogen gas in the receptacle.

3. The herein described ,process of treatof a part only of the metal or metals in the ous condition, and introducing into the receptacle with the gas a cooling agent. i

"5. The herein described process of treating metal bearing substances which consists. in continuously charging such substances into a suitable receptacle and discharging the same therefrom, and supplying to the receptacle a halogen gas in a cold condition, the supplying of the halogen gas in a cold condition and the continuous charge and discharge operating to prevent more than a predetermined rise in temperature.

-6. The herein described process of treating sulfid ores containing a metal or metals which consists in subjecting the ore to the action of a salts-forming gas capable of separating the sulfur and delivering the salts of a part of the metal or metals, and introducing a cooling agent into the receptacle with the gas.

7. The herein described process of treating sulfid ores which consists in subjecting the ore in a suitable receptacle to the act-ion of a salts forming agentin a manner to deliver a portion of the metal or metals in the form of a salts, and introducing a cooling agent for preventing the lumping and suitable receptacle and subjecting the material in such receptacle to the action of a halogen gas, and further maintaining a low temperature within the receptacle.

10. The herein described process of treating-ore which consists in subjecting such materials in a dry state in .a suitable receptacle to the action of chlorin gas and maintaining the temperature in such receptacle at a low int.

11. ing metal and mineral bearing materials containing sulfur which consists in subject he herein described process of treat-.

ing such materials in a suitable receptacle to the action 'of chlorin gas, and maintaining the temperature in such receptacle below the point of the formation of sulfur mono- .chlorid and plastic sulfur.

12. The herein described process of treating orewhich consists in subjecting such materials to the action of chlorin gas in a receptacle, and introducing air with such gas to maintain a low temperature within the receptacle.

, 13. The herein described process of treating metal andrmineral bearing materials which consists in partially chloridizing such materials with chlorin in a dry way and then agitating the partially chloridized materials in a suitable liquid in the v presence of free chlorin whereby substantia ly all the metals not acted on by the gas in the first step are chloridized in the solution.

14. The herein described process of treating metal and mineral bearing materials which consists in subjecting the materials to dry chlorin ata low temperature then further chloridizing the materials in a so- .lution until all the metals pass into solution.

' 15. The herein described process of treating metalbearing materials which consists in subjecting the materials to the action of a halogen gas for a sufficient length of time to form ous salts ofone or more of the metals andthen subjecting the materials in a liquid to the further action of a halogen gas in excess until the ous? salts and the metals not previously attacked by the halogen gas are finally converted to the ic salts and pass into solution.

16. The herein'described process of treating metal bearing materials which consists in subjecting the materials to the action of chlorin at a low temperature so as to partially chloridize certain of the metals, and then subjecting such materials to the further action of chlorin until the partially chloridized metals and the metals previously.- unattacked by the chlorin are fully chloridized and pass into solution.

17. The herein described process of treat- .ing metal bearing materials which consists in subjecting the materials to theaction of chlorin for. a suflicient length of time until one or more of the metals are converted into salts in the ous condition, and then treating such materials in an agitator contain- ,ing hot liquid and chlorin until said salts and a metal or metals previously unattacked by the chlorin are converted to salts in the ic condition and pass into solution.

18. The herein described process of treating ores which consists in subjecting the ore to a chlorin'atmosphere in a dry way until ing ores which consists in subjecting the dry ore to dry chlorin at a low temperature until partial chloridization takes place, and then agitating the partially chloridized ore in hot liquid and in the presence of chlorin until the totalchloridizatio'n takes place and the salts pass into solution. 1

21. The herein described process of treating ores which consists in subjecting the substantially dry ore to dry chlorin gas until certain metals are partially chloridized, and then agitating the ore in a hot liquid in the presence of an excess of free chlorin until the total chloridization' takes salts pass into solution.

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

JOHN L. MALM..

place and the Witnesses: HAnizr J. WOLF,- FRED E. Con, 

